Freight-car for bicycle-railways



VV/f 55555.,

(No Model.)

B. M. BOYNTON.

FREIGHT CAR FOR BIOYGL-B RAILWAYS.

No. 393,961. Patented Dec. 4, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EBEN MOODY BOYNTON, OF EST NElVBURY, llIASSACHUSETTS.

FREIGHT-CAR FOR BICYCLE-RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,961, dated December4, 1888.

Application filed July 26,1888. Serial No. 281,128. (No model.) Patentedin England March 8, 1887; in Spain June 2, 1887; in Belgium June 30,1887; in France August80, 1887; in Brazil October 13, 1887; inAustria-Hungary October 30, 1887; in Norway December 22, 1887; in NewSouth Wales March 7, 1888; in Victoria March 7, 1888; in New ZealandMarch 7, 1888,

and in India April 2, 1888.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EBEN MOODY BOYNTON, a citizen of the United'States,residing at \Vest Newbury, in the county of Essex'and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFreight- Cars for Bicycle-Railiw ys, (patented in Great Britain March 8,1887; in Spain June 2, 1887; in Belgium June 80, 1887 in France August-30, 1887; in Brazil October 13, 1887; in Austria-Hungary October 30,1887 in Norway December 22, 1887; in New South ales March 7, 1888; inVictoria March 7, 1888; in India April 2, 1888, and in New Zealand March7, 1888;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertain to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the construction of railway-cars especiallyadapted for the bicyole-railway system, the principle of which is asingle line of supporting-rails below and a single line of guiding-railsoverhead, the rolling-stock being adapted to run on said upper and lowerrails, the overhead guide-rail being employed to retain the cars in avertical position upon the lower or supporting rail. The motive-powerfor transporting cars in this system is clearly described and claimed inmy Letters Patent No. 359,008, dated March 8, 1887. The rolling-stock inthe bicycle system is preferably constructed of such width that when twotrains are running on the rails of ah ordinary gage railway they canpass each other going in either direction without the slightest dangerof contact. The desired results are accomplished by having the entireweight of the locomotive and the cars supported upon central wheelsplaced longitudinally to the car, one running upon a singlesupporting-rail of ordinary or other suitable construction, saidrolling-stock being retained in the Vertical position by means of wheelsarranged above said locomotive and cars in such position that they willengage the overhead or guide rail,which is suitably supported above thelower rail.

My present invention relates to certain specific improvements in theconstruction of freight-cars, whereby they are made selfdumping, thusmaking this form of cars especially useful in the transportationof-grain, coal, gravel, or any similar loose material. Inorder toaccomplish these results in the simplest manner possible and to producea car in which the original cost of construction shall be reduced to theminimum, which shall be durable, and in which special parts shall not beliable to get out of repair, I have devised the novel self-dumping car,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, letters being used to denote the severalparts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my novel car, showing also a section ofthe upper and lower rails; Fig. 2, a cross-section on the line a: so inFig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan view, and Fig. 4 a detail view, of the ratchetmechanism for opening and closing the side door, the ratchet-lever alsoserving as a locking-hasp.

A denotes longitudinal stringers for the lower or supporting rail; Alongitudinal stringers for the upper or guide rail; a, the lower orsupporting rail, and a the upper or guiding rail, said rails beingsuitably attached to the upper and lowerstringers,respectively.

The cars may of course be constructed of any suitable material. Ipreferably, however, use steel. The body of the car is made deepest atthe center, so as to permit self-dumping at a side door, K or through asliding door (not shown) in the bottom of the car, thus allowing thecontents of the car to be deposited in elevators, ships, or at anydesired place. The loose freight is admitted to the car through anaperture in the top,which is covered by a sliding door, K,which maybeoperated in any suitable manner, ordinarily by a cord or wire rope, K,the door being preferably arranged to slide on casters. As the door atthe bottom of the car would be practically a duplicate of this one, itis not deemed necessary to illustrate both. The side door, K is operatedby means of a ratchet, 'n rigidly secured to the side of the car andplaced parallel to and preferably about midway between the top andbottom slide-rails, a in which the door slides.

n denotes a. hasp secured to the door and acting to lock it by means ofan ordinary staple and padlock, and which is furthermore so formed as toserve the purpose of a ratchet lever or handle, the point of said haspor lever being suitably formed to engage ratchet 21, for the purpose ofopening and closing the door, said ratchet serving as the fulcrum of thelever.

My improved cars are preferably provided each with foursupportiiig-wheels, M, which travel on the supporting-rails, and withfour guiding-wheels, M, which travel under but engage the guide-rails(1.

It is not essential that four wheels be employed, as single wheels maybe used instead of double wheels on each truck. The wheels are formedwith inner and outer flanges, thereby forming a groove to fit and runupon the single upper and lower lines of rails. As shown in thedrawings, the two wheels upon each truck upon the top of the car arejournaled in suitable bearings, 7)], upon a yoke, M resting upon spiralsprings m,which cushion the yoke and yield sutiieiently to compensatefor slight irregularities in the supporting-rails, thereby holding theguidewheels in engagement with the guide-rails at all times.

L denotes a safety device which is used in connection with the upperstringer, A. This device is attached to the yoke or anysuitable portionof the truck, and consists of a double bracket curving outward and theninward,

adapted to engage the upper stringer should the guide-wheel becomedisengaged from the guide-rail. This device has no t'unetion whatever,except as a safety device, and only acts in the event of the derailmentof the guidewheels )1, or the sinking of the road-bed to such an extentas to cause the sinking of the guidewheels away from the guide rails.Should any contingency of this nature occur, the safety device willretain the train in its per stringer or the upper rail until theguidewheels are again placed in engagement with the guide-rails, so thatthere is no danger whatever of derailment of the train. The perfectequilibrium of the train is at.- all times prcserved by the engagementof wheels M with the supporting-rail and wheels )1 with the guide-rail,or, in the contingency of sinking of the track, by the engagement of thesafety device with the upper stringer, the latter device rendering theconstruction perfectly safe under all circumstances.

It: will of course be understood that my invention may be varied withinreasonable limits without departing from the principle thereof.

I claim 1. A freight-car for liicyclc-railways having its bottominclined downward from each end toward the middle, provided at the topwith the door K, and on the side at the deepest portion ol the car withthe door K substantially as set. forth.

2. A railway-car made deepest at the center, so as to be self-dumping,and provided at the top with a sliding door, K, and a cord, K, wherebysaid door maybe operated from any convenient point.

3. A self-dumping car made deepest at the center and provided with adoor, K and ratchet n, and a hasp, 91 so formed as to serve as a ratchetlever and handle.

t. The combination, with a car-door, K arranged to slide at an angle, ofa hasp, a and a ratchet upon the car adapted to be engaged by said hasp,whereby the door may be opened to any desired extent. each arm carryingan anti-friction roller, L, 3

proper position by engagement with the up- 5 The combination, withsingle upper and lower stringers and rails, of railway-cars having l'oursupporting-wheels, M, and foul-guiding-wheels, M, situated in thecentral plane of the car and below and engaging the under side of theupper stringer.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EBEN MOODY BOYNTON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM I]. MooDY,

ALBERT L. BARTLETT.

